Methods and systems for automated configurations of media presentation devices

ABSTRACT

Methods and systems are provided for configuring or customizing settings or parameters of different media devices for compatible operations in an automated manner. An exemplary method of configuring a device for presenting media content in conjunction with a second device involves a client device detecting the device on a wireless network, identifying performance characteristics associated with the second device coupled to the device, and automatically configuring the device for operation with the second device via the wireless network and in a manner that is influenced by the performance characteristics associated with the second device. In this regard, one or more configurable parameters or settings maintained at the device and that influence its operation may be modified via the wireless network to correspond to performance characteristics of the second device, thereby facilitating compatible interoperation with the second device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/975,657, filed May 9, 2018.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the subject matter described herein relate generally tomedia presentation devices, and more particularly, to automaticallyconfiguring devices involved in media presentation for compatibleoperations with one another.

BACKGROUND

Modern home entertainment systems may include numerous different typesof standalone devices, such as, for example, televisions, receivers,set-top boxes, streaming devices or streaming sticks, speakers,soundbars, and the like. Manually configuring and optimizing individualcomponents of a home entertainment system for compatible operations withthe other components can be time consuming as well as increasinglycomplex with continual technological advances and increased capabilitiessupported by newer devices. As a result, technologically unsophisticatedusers can become frustrated or discouraged from setting up a homeentertainment system. Accordingly, it is desirable to reduce the timeand manual burdens associated with analyzing and configuring homeentertainment systems. Other desirable features and characteristics willbecome apparent from the subsequent detailed description and theappended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings andthe foregoing technical field and background.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Embodiments of systems and related automated configuration methods areprovided. An exemplary method of configuring a device for presentingmedia content involves a client device detecting the device on awireless network, identifying performance characteristics associatedwith a second device coupled to the device, and automaticallyconfiguring the first device via the wireless network for operation withthe second device in a manner that is influenced by the performancecharacteristics associated with the second device.

In another embodiment, a system is provided that includes a first mediapresentation device coupled to a wireless network, a second mediapresentation device coupled to the first media presentation device, anda client device coupled to the wireless network to detect the firstmedia presentation device on the wireless network, identify performancecharacteristics associated with the second media presentation device,and automatically configure the first media presentation device, via thewireless network, for operation with the second media presentationdevice in a manner that is influenced by the performance characteristicsassociated with the second media presentation device.

In yet another embodiment, a method of configuring a media presentationsystem for presenting media content involves detecting, by a clientdevice, a plurality of media presentation devices communicativelycoupled to one or more wireless networks, obtaining, by the clientdevice, performance characteristics associated with the plurality ofmedia presentation devices, and automatically configuring, by the clientdevice via the one or more wireless networks, a first media presentationdevice of the plurality of media presentation devices for operation witha second media presentation device of the plurality of mediapresentation devices paired with the first media presentation devicebased on a relationship between the respective performancecharacteristics associated with the first media presentation device andthe performance characteristics associated with the second mediapresentation device.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the detaileddescription. This summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended tobe used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subjectmatter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the subject matter may be derived byreferring to the detailed description and claims when considered inconjunction with the following figures, wherein like reference numbersrefer to similar elements throughout the figures.

FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a mediapresentation system;

FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a clientdevice suitable for use in the media presentation system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an exemplary automated configuration processsuitable for implementation by a client device in a media presentationsystem in accordance with one or more embodiments;

FIG. 4 depicts a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a mediapresentation device suitable for use in the media presentation system ofFIG. 1 in connection with the automated configuration process of FIG. 3;and

FIG. 5 depicts a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a mediadevice, such as a set-top box, which is suitable for use as a mediapresentation device in the media presentation system of FIG. 1 inconnection with the automated configuration process of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description of the invention is merely exemplaryin nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the applicationand uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to bebound by any theory presented in the preceding background, briefsummary, or the following detailed description.

Embodiments of the subject matter described herein generally relate toconfiguring different devices involved with presenting media content forcompatible operations with one another in an automated manner. As usedherein, “media content,” “media program,” “multimedia content,” orvariants thereof should be understood as referring to any audiovisualprogramming or content in any streaming, file-based or other format. Themedia content generally includes data that, when processed by a mediaplayer or decoder, allows the media player or decoder to present avisual and/or audio representation of the corresponding program contentto a viewer (i.e., user of a device including the media player ordecoder). In one or more embodiments, a media player can be realized asa piece of software that plays multimedia content (e.g., displays videoand plays audio).

In exemplary embodiments described herein, an automated configurationapplication executing on a client electronic device detects or otherwiseidentifies one or more other electronic devices capable of presenting(or facilitating presentation of) media content that are withincommunications range of the client electronic device on a wirelessnetwork. The automated configuration application identifies or otherwisedetermines sets or combinations of the identified devices that arecoupled together or otherwise interoperate with one another. Forexample, for a pair of devices, the automated configuration applicationidentifies performance characteristics associated with at least one ofthe devices of the pair, and based on those performance characteristics,automatically configures the other device of the pair in a manner thatis influenced by the performance characteristics associated with thefirst device. In this regard, the automated configuration applicationmay cause the client electronic device to transmit or otherwise providecommands or instructions to one of the devices to alter itsconfigurations or settings that dictate respective operation of thatdevice to match the performance characteristics of the other device. Forexample, when one device of a pair of devices is only capable ofsupporting a particular data rate, the automated configurationapplication may cause the client electronic device to transmit commandsor instructions to the other device of the pair to alter its ownconfigurations or settings so that it does not attempt to provide mediacontent at a higher data rate. As another example, the automatedconfiguration application may instruct or command a device of a pair ofdevices to alter one or more communications configuration settings toimprove communications with the other device of the pair.

In exemplary embodiments, the automated configuration applicationprovides one or more graphical user interface (GUI) displays on theclient device that allow a user to manually review or assist theautomated configuration application in configuring any number of devicesinvolved in media presentation that are in wireless communication withthe client device. In this regard, for media presentation devices thatare not communicatively coupled to the client device or are otherwiseunable to be configured via the client device, the automatedconfiguration application may provide GUI displays that includeinstructions, recommendations, instructions, or other feedback orinformation that may facilitate the user configuring those devices forimproved operations. The automated configuration application may alsoprovide recommendations or suggestions based on the performancecharacteristics or capabilities of the various devices detected by theautomated configuration application, such as, for example, recommendedchanges to one or more subscription services to better suit theperformance characteristics of the detected devices.

Turning now to FIG. 1, an exemplary media presentation system 100includes, without limitation, a client device 102 and a plurality ofdifferent electronic devices 104 involved with one or more aspects ofpresenting media content, such as, for example, receiving, downloading,streaming, decoding, transcoding and/or reproducing the media content.Accordingly, for purposes of explanation, but without limitation, theelectronic devices 104 may alternatively be referred to herein as mediapresentation devices. In exemplary embodiments, at least one of themedia presentation devices 104 is communicatively coupled to the clientdevice 102 via one or more wireless networks 106, such as, for example,a wireless local area network, a wireless personal area network, a fixedwireless network, a wide area network, a NarrowBand Internet of Things(NB-IoT) network, or the like. It should be appreciated that FIG. 1 is asimplified representation of a media presentation system 100 forpurposes of explanation and is not intended to be limiting.

The client device 102 generally represents an electronic device capableof communicating with one or more of the media presentation devices 104via a network 106. In practice, the client device 102 can be realized asany sort of personal computer, mobile telephone, tablet or othernetwork-enabled electronic device. In exemplary embodiments, the clientdevice 102 includes a display device, such as a monitor, screen, oranother conventional electronic display, capable of graphicallypresenting data and/or information along with one or more user inputdevices capable of receiving input from the user of the client device102, such as a touchscreen, a touch panel, a mouse, a joystick, adirectional pad, a motion sensor, or the like. The illustrated clientdevice 102 executes or otherwise supports a client application 108 thatsupports communications with the media presentation devices 104 andautomatically configuring one or more of the media presentation devices104, as described in greater detail below. In exemplary embodiments, theclient application 108 is realized as a local application executing onor at the client device 102.

The media presentation devices 104 generally represent any sort ofelectronic devices capable of receiving and/or presenting media contentfrom another device or network. For example, the media presentationdevices 104 could include one or more of a television, monitor, liquidcrystal display (LCD), light emitting diode (LED) display, plasmadisplay, or other device capable of reproducing video or audiovisualmedia content received from a network (e.g., network 106, a satellitedistribution network, a broadcast network, or the like) or via anotherdevice (e.g., a set-top box or the like). In this regard, one or more ofthe media presentation devices 104 could be realized as a set-top box, areceiver, an over-the-top (OTT) streaming device, a streaming stick, agaming console, or the like that is coupled to a television to receivemedia content and provide the media content to the television. The mediapresentation devices 104 could also include one or more routers, modems,firewall devices, personal computers, tablets or other network-enabledelectronic devices. Additionally, the media presentation devices 104could include one or more speakers, sound bars, or other devices capableof reproducing the audio portion of media content received from anotherdevice 104 or network.

In exemplary embodiments, the client device 102 is communicativelycoupled to a remote device 112 via a communications network 116, whichmay be logically distinct or separate from the communications network106, such as, for example, a cellular network, the Internet, or thelike. The remote device 112 generally represents a computing device,computing system or another combination of processing logic, circuitry,hardware, and/or other components configured to support the automatedconfiguration processes, tasks, operations, and/or functions describedherein, and for purposes of explanation, the remote device 112 mayalternatively be referred to herein as a server. The server 112 iscoupled to a database 114 that stores or otherwise maintains informationabout various types of media presentation devices 104, such as, forexample make and model information, performance characteristics,configurable settings or other configuration parameters for retrieval bythe client application 108 via the server 112, as described in greaterdetail below in the context of FIG. 3.

FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary embodiment of an electronic device 200suitable for use as the client device 102 in the media presentationsystem 100 of FIG. 1. The client device 200 includes, withoutlimitation, a control module 202, a data storage element 204 (ormemory), a display device 206, one or more user input devices 208, and aplurality of different communications modules 220, 230, 240. Inexemplary embodiments, the different communications modules 220, 230,240 are configured to support communications over differentcommunications networks, as described in greater detail below. It shouldbe appreciated that FIG. 2 is a simplified representation of a clientdevice 200 for purposes of explanation and is not intended to belimiting.

The control module 202 generally represents the hardware, circuitry,logic, firmware and/or other components of the client device 200configurable to support the automated configuration processes andvarious additional tasks, operations, functions and/or operationsdescribed herein. Depending on the embodiment, the control module 2-202may be implemented or realized with a general purpose processor, amicroprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a system on a chip, anapplication specific integrated circuit, a state machine, a contentaddressable memory, a field programmable gate array, any suitableprogrammable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discretehardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform thefunctions described herein. In this regard, the steps of a method oralgorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed hereinmay be embodied directly in hardware, in firmware, in a software moduleexecuted by the control module 202, or in any practical combinationthereof. In exemplary embodiments, the control module 1502 includes orotherwise accesses the memory 204, which may be realized using any sorta random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), flash memory,magnetic or optical mass storage, or any other suitable non-transitoryshort or long term data storage or other computer-readable media, and/orany suitable combination thereof. The memory 204 storescomputer-executable programming instructions that, when read andexecuted by the control module 202, cause the control module 202 toimplement or otherwise generate a configuration application 210 thatsupports or otherwise performs various tasks, operations, functions, andprocesses described herein.

The display device 206 may be realized as any sort of electronic displaycapable of graphically displaying information or other data associatedwith operation of the client device 200 under control of the controlmodule 202. The user input device(s) 208 may include or be realized asone or more of the following user input devices: a keypad, touchpad,keyboard, mouse, touch panel (or touchscreen), joystick, knob, lineselect key or another suitable device adapted to receive input from auser, such as a microphone, audio transducer, audio sensor, or anotheraudio input device.

In exemplary embodiments, the communications modules 220, 230, 240 areconfigured to support wireless communications in accordance with awireless communications protocol or specification that is different fromthat of the other communications modules 220, 230, 240. For example, afirst wireless communications module 220 may be configured to supportcommunications over a wireless local area network (WLAN) or othernetwork in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 specification (e.g., WiFi). Asecond wireless communications module 230 may be configured to supportcommunications over a personal area network (PAN) or other network inaccordance with an IEEE 802.15 specification, such as, for example,Bluetooth®, ZigBee® radio frequency for consumer electronics (RF4CE), orthe like. Yet another wireless communications module 240 may beconfigured to support communications over a fixed wireless network, awide area network, a NB-IoT network, or the like. The wirelesscommunications modules 220, 230, 240 generally include at least oneantenna and a radio frequency (RF) core configured to convert digitalbaseband signals to analog radio frequency signals to be transmitted viathe respective antenna and convert analog radio frequency signalsreceived via the respective antenna to corresponding digital basebandsignals. In this regard, each RF core may include one or more mixers,frequency doublers, frequency dividers, baluns, mixers, amplifiers,transmitters, receivers, transceivers, or the like. In some embodiments,antennas may be shared, combined, or otherwise multiplexed across morethan one wireless communications modules 220, 230, 240 or otherwiseutilized to support more than one communications protocol.

Referring to FIGS. 1-2, in one or more embodiments, the configurationapplication 210 supports communications with a counterpart applicationor software process executing on one or more of the media presentationdevices 104. In this regard, in some embodiments, the configurationapplication 210 may be configured to command or otherwise instruct oneor more media presentation devices 104 to download a counterpartapplication (e.g., from a remote server) via a communications network(e.g., the Internet or the like). In some embodiments, the configurationapplication 210 may be utilized to provide or install the code orsoftware package for the counterpart application on media presentationdevices 104 detected on the network 106 that do not respond in a mannerthat indicates the counterpart application is already installed. Thecounterpart application executing on a media presentation device 104 mayfacilitate communications with the configuration application 210 toenable the configuration application 210 to configure parameters orsettings of the media presentation device 104, as described in greaterdetail below.

Referring now to FIG. 3, in exemplary embodiments, a client device 102,200 (or client application 108, 210 executing thereon) in a mediapresentation system 100 is configured to support an automatedconfiguration process 300 to configure or otherwise setup one or moremedia presentation devices 104 for compatible operations with one ormore other media presentation devices 104 in an automated manner. Thevarious tasks performed in connection with the illustrated process 300may be implemented using hardware, firmware, software executed byprocessing circuitry, or any combination thereof. For illustrativepurposes, the following description may refer to elements mentionedabove in connection with FIGS. 1-2. In practice, portions of theautomated configuration process 300 may be performed by differentelements of a media presentation system 100. That said, for purposes ofexplanation, the automated configuration process 300 is described hereprimarily in the context of being performed by the configurationapplication 108, 210 at the client device 102, 200. It should beappreciated that the automated configuration process 300 may include anynumber of additional or alternative tasks, the tasks need not beperformed in the illustrated order and/or the tasks may be performedconcurrently, and/or the automated configuration process 300 may beincorporated into a more comprehensive procedure or process havingadditional functionality not described in detail herein. Moreover, oneor more of the tasks shown and described in the context of FIG. 3 couldbe omitted from a practical embodiment of the automated configurationprocess 300 as long as the intended overall functionality remainsintact.

The illustrated automated configuration process 300 initializes orotherwise begins by discovering or otherwise identifying the variousdevices in a media presentation system that are in the vicinity of theclient device or otherwise capable of being configured by the clientdevice (task 302). In one or more embodiments, the configurationapplication 108, 210 at the client device 102, 200 commands, instructs,or otherwise operates the various wireless communications modules 220,230, 240 to perform a discovery procedure or otherwise scan theirassociated network 106 to detect and identify other devices 104 on thatnetwork 106. For example, upon the configuration application 210 beingopened or initiated, the configuration application 210 may automaticallycommand or instruct the WiFi module 220 to scan for devices on awireless local area network 106, then command or instruct the PAN module230 to scan for devices on a personal area network 106, and then commandor instruct the NB-IoT module 240 to scan for devices on a NB-IoTnetwork 106. In this regard, the configuration application 108, 210 mayexhaustively scan using each of the different types of wirelesscommunications supported by the client device 102, 200 to identify asmany different media presentation devices 104 as possible in thevicinity of the client device 102, 200 that are potentially availablefor configuration.

In response to scanning the network 106, the configuration application108, 210 may receive information from the detected devices 104 thatincludes a network address or other network configuration information(e.g., an internet protocol address, a port number, and the like), adevice identifier, and potentially other performance characteristics orconfigurations of the respective device (e.g., supported data rates,encryption information, and/or the like). For media presentation devices104 executing a client application that supports communications with theconfiguration application 108, 210, the client application at thosedevices may also respond to a discovery or probe request from theconfiguration application 108, 210 at the client device 102, 200 withinformation identifying the respective make, model, and otherinformation about its device type. Otherwise, the configurationapplication 108, 210 at the client device 102, 200 may utilize theinformation from a response to a discovery or probe request to query thedatabase 114 via the server 112 and identify the device type for adetected device by matching the discovery response information to storedinformation for a particular device type.

In some embodiments, the configuration application 108, 210 may becapable of automatically identifying the device type for a detectedmedia presentation device 104 based on the networks 106 that the mediapresentation device 104 is detected on. For example, a mediapresentation device 104 may be discovered communicating on both a WiFinetwork 106 and a PAN 106, and the configuration application 108, 210may be unable to identify the device based on its discovery response onthe WiFi network 106 but the discovery response on the PAN 106 mayenable the configuration application 108, 210 to identify the device, orvice versa. Moreover, in some embodiments, the configuration application108, 210 may be capable of automatically determining the device type fora detected media presentation device 104 based on the combination andtype of networks 106 that the detected device 104 is discovered alongand the corresponding identification information or configurationinformation associated with those different networks 106. For example,the configuration application 108, 210 may determine a device type for adetected device 104 based on the combination of a particular port numberused by the device 104 on a first type of wireless network 106 andanother port number used by the device 104 on a different type ofwireless network 106.

In one or more embodiments, after scanning the various networks 106available to the client device 102, 200, the configuration application108, 210 generates or otherwise provides a GUI display on the displaydevice 206 that includes a listing of the detected media presentationdevices 104 and their associated device type information. In thisregard, for detected devices 104 that the configuration application 108,210 is unable to identify based on the discovery response information,the configuration application 108, 210 may generate one or more GUIelements on the display device 206 that prompt a user of the clientdevice 102, 200 to manipulate the user input device 208 to input orotherwise provide the device type information for those devices.Additionally, the user of the client device 102, 200 may utilize one ormore GUI elements to input information identifying additional mediapresentation devices 104 that may not have been detected by theconfiguration application 108, 210. In some embodiments, theconfiguration application 108, 210 may also be configured to supportidentifying media presentation devices 104 by scanning identifyinginformation on those media presentation devices 104 via a scanner,reader, or similar interface of the client device 102, 200. For example,the client device 102, 200 may include a barcode reader or scanner thatis operable using the configuration application 108, 210 to scan or reada barcode, quick response (QR) code, universal product code (UPC), orother coding on a media presentation device 104. The configurationapplication 108, 210 may then utilize the scanned code to query theserver 112 to obtain device type information and performancecharacteristics associated with the scanned media presentation device104.

After discovering media presentation devices available forconfiguration, the automated configuration process 300 continues byidentifying or otherwise determining which combination of mediapresentation devices are coupled to one another or otherwiseinteroperate with one another (task 304). In one or more embodiments,the configuration application 108, 210 may automatically identify devicepairings using logic rules, machine learning, or other artificialintelligence. For example, if the configuration application 108, 210only identifies a single television in the media presentation system100, the configuration application 108, 210 may automatically determinethat any detected set-top box, streaming stick, or other media playerthat produces video output is paired with the television for presentingmedia content on the television. Similarly, if the configurationapplication 108, 210 only identifies a single audio/video receiver inthe media presentation system 100, the configuration application 108,210 may automatically determine that any detected speakers, soundbars,or other audio output devices are paired with the receiver forreproducing the audio portion of media content from the receiver. Insome embodiments, the configuration application 108, 210 generates orotherwise provides a GUI display on the display device 206 that providesindications of the device pairings for review or modification by theuser. In this regard, the user may manipulate GUI elements provided bythe configuration application 108, 210 to modify device pairings or pairmedia presentation devices 104 that were not automatically paired by theconfiguration application 108, 210.

In exemplary embodiments, the automated configuration process 300continues by automatically configuring paired devices for interoperationwith one another based on the performance characteristics associatedwith the respective devices (task 306). In this regard, theconfiguration application 108, 210 modifies or configures one or moreparameters or settings of a media presentation device 104 to improvecompatibility with another media presentation device 104 based on theirperformance characteristics, or vice versa. For example, theconfiguration application 108, 210 may modify configurable parameters ofa media presentation device 104 having higher performance capabilitiesthan its paired media presentation device 104 to match the performancecharacteristics of its paired media presentation device 104. As anotherexample, the configuration application 108, 210 may configure a mediapresentation device 104 to only attempt to download or retrieve types ofmedia content supported by its paired media presentation device 104. Inone or more exemplary embodiments, the configuration application 108,210 attempts to configure media presentation devices 104 of eachidentified pairing to maximize compatibility of paired mediapresentation devices 104 within the media presentation system 100, andthereby optimize the setup or configuration of the media presentationsystem 100 as a whole. For various media presentation devices 104, theconfiguration application 108, 210 may query the database 114 via theserver 112 to retrieve performance characteristics associated with arespective media presentation device 104, which, in turn, are utilizedto configure the respective media presentation device 104 or its pairedmedia presentation device 104. In this regard, for media presentationdevices 104 that provide performance characteristics as part of thediscovery procedure (e.g., at task 302), the configuration application108, 210 may attempt to obtain additional performance information from aremote server 112 to supplement the performance characteristics forthose devices 104.

In one or more embodiments, the steps of detecting available mediapresentation devices (task 302), pairing the detected media presentationdevices (task 304), and configuring the paired media presentationdevices (task 306) may be performed in an entirely automated mannerwithout any intervening manual interaction. For example, upon a useropening or initiating execution of the configuration application 108,210 on the client device 102, 200 the configuration application 108, 210may automatically scan the available wireless networks 106 to detectmedia presentation devices 104 of the media presentation system 100.Thereafter, the configuration application 108, 210 may automaticallypair detected media presentation devices 104, and then for each pairing,analyze the performance characteristics associated with the respectivemedia presentation devices 104 of that pairing to automaticallyconfigure the pairings of media presentation devices 104. For example,for each pairing of media presentation devices 104, the configurationapplication 108, 210 may automatically obtain the performancecharacteristics associated with the respective media presentationdevices 104 (e.g., via the discovery procedure, from a counterpartapplication executing on the media presentation device 104, from theremote server 112 and/or database 114, and the like). The configurationapplication 108, 210 then compares performance characteristicsassociated with the respective media presentation devices 104 andmodifies one or more parameters or settings of one of the mediapresentation devices 104 to match or otherwise correspond to theperformance characteristics associated with its paired mediapresentation device 104. Once the configuration application 108, 210finishes automatically detecting, pairing, and configuring mediapresentation devices 104, the configuration application 108, 210 maygenerate a GUI display that summarizes the automated configuration, forexample, by listing the media presentation devices 104 that weredetected and configured. In this regard, the GUI display may indicatewhich media presentation devices 104 were paired together and/or themanner in which the media presentation devices 104 were automaticallyconfigured.

Still referring to FIG. 3, in one or more embodiments, after configuringpaired media presentation devices, the automated configuration process300 generates or otherwise provides one or more GUI displays that promptthe user of the client device to input information pertaining to theautomated configuration of the media presentation system (task 308).Based on the received user input, the automated configuration process300 generates or otherwise provides recommendations, suggestions, orother feedback pertaining to the configuration of the media presentationsystem responsive to the user input (task 310). For example, theconfiguration application 108, 210 may provide a GUI display thatsummarizes the automated configuration of the media presentation devices104 and includes GUI elements that prompts the user to confirmsatisfaction with the automated configuration or provide additionalinput regarding what aspects of the automated configuration wereunsatisfactory or what additional objectives the user would like toachieve. In this regard, the user may provide input indicatingparticular media presentation devices 104 that may be exhibitingunsatisfactory performance or what aspects of media presentation theuser would like to improve (e.g., video quality, audio quality,streaming quality, or the like). Based on the input received from theuser, the configuration application 108, 210 may analyze performancecharacteristics associated with the relevant media presentation devices104 and potentially other information pertaining to the user's abilityto receive media content (e.g., subscription information for the user)to identify potential remedial actions for improving media presentationor otherwise achieving the user's input objective(s) and then generate aGUI display that presents those potential remedial actions to the user.

By way of example, in one embodiment, the media presentation devices 104detected on the wireless network 106 by the configuration application108, 210 could include a television, a media device coupled to thetelevision (e.g., a set-top box or a streaming media device), andanother intermediary device between the media device and a source ofmedia content (e.g., the Internet, a satellite distribution network, orthe like). For example, the configuration application 108, 210 coulddetect a router configured to receive media content from the Internet oranother telecommunications network, a television, and a streaming mediadevice coupled to the router and the television (e.g., task 302). Theconfiguration application 108, 210 may then identify the router andstreaming media device as a first pair of media presentation devices andthe streaming media device and the television as a second pair of mediapresentation devices (e.g., task 304).

For the pairing of router and streaming media device, the configurationapplication 108, 210 obtains their respective performancecharacteristics, either from the devices directly (e.g., from acounterpart configuration application executing thereon) and/or from aremote database 114, and then compares or otherwise analyzes theperformance characteristics to automatically determine how to configurethe router and streaming media device for compatible operation (e.g.,task 306). If the streaming media device supports 4K video resolutionbut the router does not support data rates beyond 1080p videoresolution, the configuration application 108, 210 determines that thestreaming media device should not request video resolutions above 1080pand then automatically configures the streaming media device via thenetwork 106 so that the streaming media device does not attempt tostream media content with resolutions higher than 1080p. For example, avideo quality setting at the streaming media device may be changed froma default setting of highest resolution available to 1080p video qualityso that the streaming media device by default does not attempt to streammedia content with a video resolution that will not be supported by thedata rate available from the router.

Similarly, for the pairing of the streaming media device and thetelevision, the configuration application 108, 210 obtains theirrespective performance characteristics, either from the devices directlyand/or from a remote database 114, and then compares or otherwiseanalyzes the performance characteristics to automatically determine howto configure the streaming media device for compatible operation withthe television. For example, if the television only supports standarddefinition, the configuration application 108, 210 may determine thatthe streaming media device should not request video resolutions above480i and then automatically configures the streaming media device viathe network 106 so that the streaming media device does not attempt tostream media content with resolutions higher than 480i. Thus, thedefault video quality setting at the streaming media device may beconfigured to limit unnecessary overhead or consumption of networkbandwidth that could otherwise result from requesting higher resolutionmedia content that is unsupported by the television and/or the router.In other words, in terms of performance, the configuration application108, 210 may automatically configure the configurable performanceparameters or settings detected media presentation devices thatinteroperate to present media content for the lowest common denominatorin terms of performance capabilities across those devices. Additionally,the configuration application 108, 210 may determine which file types orformats are supported by the television and automatically configure thestreaming media device to only request or download those file types, oralternatively, to automatically transcode media content received at thestreaming device into a particular file format supported by thetelevision.

After automatically configuring the router, streaming media device andthe television for compatible operations with one another, theconfiguration application 108, 210 may generate or otherwise provide aGUI display that indicates to the user what video resolution the mediapresentation system is configured to support via those devices. In thisregard, if the user is unsatisfied with the configured video resolution,the user may provide input indicative of a desire by the user to achievea better video resolution. For example, in one embodiment, thetelevision may support 8K resolution, but the data rate at the routerdoes not support a video resolution better than 4K, and the streamingmedia device may not support a video resolution better than 1080p. Thus,the configuration application 108, 210 may automatically configure thedevices to support streaming media content with 1080p video resolution.However, the user may know that the video resolution supported by thetelevision is greater than what is currently configured and provideinput indicative of a desire to achieve the 8K resolution. In response,the configuration application 108, 210 may analyze the performancecharacteristics of the router and the streaming media device to identifyhow the user can improve video resolution and present the remedialaction(s) to the user. For example, the configuration application 108,210 may provide a GUI display that indicates the user should update thestreaming media device to a different type of streaming media devicethat supports a better video resolution rather than modifying the routeror the user's subscription Internet service because the videopresentation is more constrained by the streaming media device. Thus, arelatively unsophisticated user can be apprised of the best way toimprove the media presentation experience so that the user does notwaste money on actions that will not achieve the desired objective(e.g., upgrading the user's Internet subscription when the desired videoresolution still will not be supported by the streaming media device).

Similarly, if the user's router or some other intermediary device (e.g.,a firewall device) is constraining presentation of higher quality mediacontent, the configuration application 108, 210 may provide a GUIdisplay that indicates how the user could improve data rates to thestreaming media device. For example, the configuration application 108,210 could provide a recommendation of an upgraded subscription Internetpackage that would support a higher video resolution, or provide anindication of the minimum data rate required at the router to support adesired video resolution. Additionally or alternatively, in the case ofa firewall device, the configuration application 108, 210 could provideinstructions or suggestions about how to configure the firewall deviceto improve the video quality. In this regard, in some embodiments, theconfiguration application 108, 210 could automatically configure afirewall device via the network 106 (e.g., at task 306), while in otherembodiments, the configuration application 108, 210 may refrain fromautomatically configuring any detected firewall devices until receivinga confirmation or instruction from the user to do so. Likewise, if theconfiguration application 108, 210 detects a proxy server being utilizedby the user that constrains the quality of media presentation, theconfiguration application 108, 210 could automatically configure variousmedia presentation devices 104 to avoid using the proxy server, oralternatively, the configuration application 108, 210 may refrain fromautomatically avoiding use of the proxy server and merely do so uponmanual confirmation. In yet other embodiments, the configurationapplication 108, 210 may provide suggestions or recommendations for howthe user could manually configure the media presentation devices 104 ornetworks to avoid use of a constraining proxy server.

As yet another example, the configuration application 108, 210 coulddetect a satellite receiver configured to receive media content from asatellite distribution network, a television, and a set-top box coupledbetween the satellite receiver and the television (e.g., task 302). Theconfiguration application 108, 210 may then identify the satellitereceiver and the set-top box as a first pair of media presentationdevices and the set-top box and the television as a second pair of mediapresentation devices (e.g., task 304). In a similar manner as describedabove, the configuration application 108, 210 may automaticallyconfigure the media presentation device pairings for compatibleoperations, for example, by automatically configuring video qualityparameters or settings of one or more of the devices for the lesser ofthe highest video qualities supported by the respective devices. In asimilar manner as described above, the configuration application 108,210 may generate or otherwise provide a GUI display that indicates tothe user what video resolution the media presentation system isconfigured to support via those devices, and if the user is unsatisfiedwith the configured video resolution, the configuration application 108,210 may utilize the performance characteristics associated with themedia presentation devices to determine one or more remedial action(s)for improving video resolution.

For example, if the user is using an outdated or legacy set-top box thatdoes not support a video resolution above 1080p while the user'stelevision is capable of presenting 4K video resolution and thesatellite receiver is capable of receiving 4K media content, theconfiguration application 108, 210 may provide a GUI display thatindicates that the user should inquire with user's satellite providerabout updating the user's set-top box. Conversely, if the user'ssubscription information obtained from a remote database 114 indicatesthat the satellite receiver is unable to receive or process channelssupporting 4K video resolution, the configuration application 108, 210may provide a GUI display that indicates that the user should inquirewith user's satellite provider about upgrading the user's subscriptionto include 4K video content. As yet another example, if the user'ssubscription information and performance characteristics associated withthe satellite receiver and set-top box indicate the user is capable ofreceiving 4K video content but the user's television only supports 1080pvideo resolutions, the configuration application 108, 210 may provide aGUI display that suggests that the user upgrade the television tosupport higher resolution content. In such embodiments, theconfiguration application 108, 210 may also automatically configure thesatellite receiver and/or set-top box to optimize receiving andpresenting video resolutions up to 1080p and modify one or more videoquality parameters or settings at the satellite receiver and/or theset-top box to eschew attempts to receive, decode, or otherwise present4K video content on the television.

It should be noted that the above are merely some examples of mediapresentation devices 104 that could be automatically detected andconfigured pursuant to the automated configuration process 300, and thesubject matter described herein is not limited to any particular type ornumber of media presentation devices 104 that may be configured. In thisregard, though the above examples focus on video quality, the automatedconfiguration process 300 may be implemented in an equivalent manner foraudio content quality. For example, if the audio presentation devices104 detected by the configuration application 108, 210 do not supportsurround sound or other higher quality audio features, the configurationapplication 108, 210 may automatically configure a streaming mediadevice, a set-top box, or other media device coupled to the audiopresentation devices 104 to eschew requesting, receiving, and/orprocessing such higher quality audio content to reduce overhead,conserve bandwidth or other computing resources, and the like. Moreover,in various other embodiments, the automated configuration process 300may be utilized to configure various devices on an NB-IoT network 106for interoperation when presenting media content, for example, bysynchronizing or coordinating operations of lighting arrangements,climate control arrangements (e.g., heating devices, air conditioningdevices, and the like), sensors, and potentially other devices withpresentation of media content on a television, speakers, or otherplayback device within an environment where those other devices arepresent.

In various embodiments, the automated configuration process 300 may alsobe utilized to improve communications between media presentation devices104. For example, a given pair of media presentation devices 104 may becapable of communicating with one another via different wirelessnetworks 106. In this regard, based on the data rates supported by thepaired media presentation devices 104 and the bandwidths or throughputsassociated with the different wireless networks 106, the configurationapplication 108, 210 may automatically configure the paired mediapresentation devices 104 to communicate over a particular wirelessnetwork 106 using particular communications parameters or settings tomaximize the data rate for providing media content from one of the mediapresentation devices 104 to the other media presentation device 104. Forexample, the configuration application 108, 210 may identify a maximumdata rate supported by each of the media presentation devices 104, andthen configure the media presentation devices 104 to communicate via awireless network 106 with configured communications settings thatachieve the lesser of the two maximum data rates or otherwise achievesthe maximum achievable data rate given the available wireless networks106. For example, the configuration application 108, 210 may configurethe media presentation devices 104 to communicate with one another overan NB-IoT network 106 rather than a WiFi network 106 to achieve a betterdata rate. As another example, the configuration application 108, 210may configure the media presentation devices 104 to communicate usingparticular port numbers or other networking settings that to achieve themaximum data rate supported by the paired media presentation devices104.

FIG. 4 depicts an exemplary electronic device 400 suitable for use asone or more of the media presentation devices 104 in the mediapresentation system 100 of FIG. 1. The illustrated media presentationdevice 400 includes a control module 402, one or more data storageelements 404, an input interface 406 and an output interface 408.

The control module 402 represents the processing system, processingdevice, hardware, firmware, and/or other components or combinationsthereof configured to support the subject matter described herein. Thecontrol module 402 may include one or more processors, centralprocessing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), controllers,microprocessors, microcontrollers, processing cores and/or othercomputing resources. The data storage element (or memory) 404 is coupledto or otherwise accessed by the control module 402, and the data storageelement 404 may include any sort of random access memory (RAM), readonly memory (ROM), flash memory, magnetic or optical mass storage, orany other suitable configuration of non-transitory short or long termdata storage or other non-transitory computer-readable media capable ofstoring data or other programming instructions for execution by thecontrol module 402. In one or more embodiments, the stored programminginstructions, when read and executed by the control module 402, causethe control module 402 to generate a media player application 410 thatsupports performance of the various tasks, functions, and/or processesand the operations of the media presentation device 400 describedherein. In some embodiments, the control module 402 is implemented as a“system on a chip” (SoC) that incorporates a hybrid microcontroller withmemory, input/output and other features to perform the variousprocessing and other functionality of media presentation device 400, andin which case a separate memory 404 may not be provided.

The input interface 406 is coupled to the control module 402 andgenerally represents the hardware, circuitry, logic, firmware and/orother components of the media presentation device 400 that areconfigured to receive media content from a communications network,another media presentation device, or other content source (e.g., asatellite distribution network, a cable distribution network, or thelike). Similarly, the output interface 408 is coupled to the controlmodule 402 and generally represents the hardware, circuitry, logic,firmware and/or other components of the media presentation device 400that are configured to output or otherwise provide the media content toa display device, an audio device, or another media presentation device.In this regard, depending on the particular type of media presentationdevice 400, the output interface 408 could graphically present, render,or otherwise display imagery and/or video corresponding to media contentreceived by the media presentation device 400 via the input interface406. In some embodiments, the output interface 408 could also generatesound or otherwise reproduce the audio corresponding to the audioportion of the media content.

Referring to FIG. 4 with reference to FIG. 1, in some embodiments, oneof the interfaces 406, 408 may be realized as a communications interfaceor network interface that supports communications via a network 106.That said, in other embodiments, the media presentation device 400 mayinclude a communications interface in addition to interfaces 406, 408,where the communications interface includes or otherwise represents thehardware, circuitry, logic, firmware and/or other components of themedia presentation device 400 that are configured to supportcommunications via one or more networks 106. In this regard, mediapresentation device 400 may include one or more of a WiFi communicationsmodule, a PAN module, a NB-IoT module, or any other sort or combinationof wireless transceiver modules capable of supporting wirelesscommunications.

Still referring to FIG. 4, in the illustrated embodiment, the mediaplayer 410 generally represents the component of the media presentationdevice 400 that receives and processes media content received from theinput interface 406 prior to providing the media content to the outputinterface 408. In this regard, in various embodiments, the media player410 could include one or more buffers, decoders, encoders, transcoders,and/or the like. In one or more embodiments, the media player 410processes media content received at the media presentation device 400 inaccordance with one or more configurable parameters or settings 412maintained in the memory 404.

Referring to FIG. 4 with reference to FIGS. 1-3, in exemplaryembodiments, one or more of the media player settings 412 areautomatically configured or modified by the configuration application108, 210 for compatibility with another instance of a media presentationdevice 104, 400 coupled to one of the input/output interfaces 406, 408in accordance with the automated configuration process 300. For example,the media player settings 412 may be configured to alter the data rateassociated with media content received and/or processed by the mediaplayer 410. In one or more embodiments, the media player settings 412include a default content quality setting which may be configurable bythe configuration application 108, 210 to automatically set theresolution or quality of media content requested by the media player 410via the input interface 406, or alternatively, to set the quality ofmedia content output by the media player 410 via the output interface408.

In some embodiments, the media player 410 may be configured to supportcommunications with the configuration application 108, 210 via thenetwork 106. In yet other embodiments, the media presentation device 400may be configured to download or otherwise retrieve a counterpartconfiguration application supporting communications with theconfiguration application 108, 210 from a remote server or other devicevia a telecommunications network. In such embodiments, the memory 404may store corresponding programming instructions that, when read andexecuted by the control module 402, cause the control module 402 togenerate a configuration application that supports automatedconfiguration of the media player settings 412 via communications withconfiguration application 108, 210 as described above in the context ofFIGS. 1-3.

FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a media device 500 suitablefor use as a media presentation device 104 in the media presentationsystem 100 of FIG. 1. In one or more exemplary embodiments, the mediadevice 500 is realized as a set-top box capable of receiving andprocessing media content and providing media content to a television orother media presentation device 104 for presentation. In someembodiments, the media device 500 may also be configured to supportplaceshifting media content to another device via a communicationsnetwork.

In one or more exemplary embodiments, the media device 500 includes areceiver interface 514 for receiving satellite, cable and/or broadcastprogramming signals from broadcast content sources 550, as well as adata storage medium 516 (e.g., a hard disk, flash memory, or anothersuitable non-volatile data storage element) to support a digital videorecorder (DVR) feature and/or functionality, and a display interface 518for providing imagery and/or video corresponding to a media program to adisplay device. For convenience, but without limitation, the datastorage medium 516 is alternatively referred to herein as a DVR. In someembodiments, the media device 500 may also include an access module 530,such as a card interface or card reader adapted to receive a smart cardor the like, which is configured to ensure that the viewer is authorizedto view media content received from the content source 550. In thisregard, the access module 530 may include unique identificationinformation associated with a particular subscriber to a broadcastdistribution network 550 or otherwise include authorization (orsubscription) information that facilitates receiving and/or decodingmedia content received from the broadcast distribution network 550.Equivalent embodiments, however, could receive programming from any sortof cable connection, broadcast source, removable media, network service,external device and/or the like. It should be appreciated, however, thatthe subject matter described herein is not necessarily limited toimplementation or use with media devices including such an accessmodule. The illustrated media device 500 also includes one or morecommunications modules 522 configured to support communications to/fromthe media device 500. In this regard, the media device 500 includes atleast one wireless communications module configured to support wirelesscommunications.

It should be appreciated that FIG. 5 depicts merely one exemplaryembodiment of a media device 500, and in practice, the media device 500may be physically and/or logically implemented in any manner to suit theneeds of a particular embodiment. In this regard, in some embodiments,the components in media device 500 may be provided within a commonchassis or housing as illustrated in FIG. 5, although equivalentembodiments may implement media device 500 with any number ofinter-connected but discrete components or systems. For example, in someembodiments, the media device 500 may be realized as a combination of aSTB and a placeshifting device, wherein some features of the mediadevice 500 are implemented by the STB and other features of the mediadevice 500 are implemented by the placeshifting device, wherein theplaceshifting device works in conjunction with the STB to shift theviewing experience from a home television.

In the illustrated embodiment, media device 500 is capable of receivingdigital broadcast satellite (DBS) signals transmitted from a broadcastsource 550, such as a satellite, using an antenna 552 that providesreceived signals to the receiver 514. Equivalent embodiments, however,could receive programming at receiver 514 from any sort of cableconnection, broadcast source, removable media, network service, externaldevice and/or the like. The DVR 516 feature stores recorded programming(e.g., broadcast programming received via receiver 514) on a hard diskdrive, memory, or other storage medium as appropriate in response touser/viewer programming instructions, wherein the recorded programmingmay be subsequently viewed on display device or placeshifted to anotherclient device via a network. Content stored in DVR 516 may be any sortof file-based programming or other content that is accessible to mediadevice 500. Additionally, media content in DVR 516 may be stored in anysort of compressed or uncompressed format, as desired, and may beencoded or transcoded as desired for effective receipt, storage,retrieval and playing.

The media device 500 includes a control module 510 configured to direct,manage, or otherwise control the operations of the media device 500 asappropriate. The control module 510 may be realized as any suitablecombination of hardware, firmware, and/or other components of the mediadevice 500 capable of directing, managing or otherwise controlling theoperations of media device 500. The control module 510 may be realizedusing any suitable processing system, processing device, or combinationthereof. For example, the control module 510 may include one or moreprocessors, central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units(GPUs), controllers, microprocessors, microcontrollers, processing coresand/or other computing resources configured to support the subjectmatter described herein. The media device 500 also includes a datastorage element (or memory) 512 that is coupled to or otherwise accessedby the control module 510. The memory 512 may be realized using asrandom access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), flash memory,magnetic or optical mass storage, or any other suitable configuration ofnon-transitory short or long term data storage or other non-transitorycomputer-readable media capable of storing programming instructions forexecution by the control module 510. The stored programminginstructions, when read and executed by the control module 510, causethe control module 510 to perform various tasks, functions, and/orprocesses to control operations of the media device 500 and support thesubject matter described herein. In some embodiments, the control module510 is implemented as a “system on a chip” (SoC) that incorporates ahybrid microcontroller with memory, input/output and other features toperform the various processing and other functionality of media device500, and in which case a separate memory 512 may not be provided.

Referring to FIG. 5 with reference to FIGS. 1-3, it should be noted thatvarious aspects of operation of the media device 500 could be configuredby the configuration application 108, 210 in accordance with theautomated configuration process 300. For example, the media device 500may be configured to record or otherwise store media content on the DVR516 with a video quality that does not exceed the supported videoresolution of the television or display device coupled to the mediadevice 500 to conserve memory. In the context of placeshifting, themedia device 500 may be configured to default to data rates or videoquality that correspond to data rates supported by routers, firewalls,or other devices that may be coupled between the media device 500 and anexternal network. Moreover, the subscription information obtained by theconfiguration application 108, 210 from the access module 530 may beutilized to configure other media presentation devices 104 or providerecommendations or suggestions to the user, as described above. Itshould be noted that there are various different ways in with the mediadevice 500 could be configured by the configuration application 108, 210in accordance with the automated configuration process 300, and theabove examples are not intended to be limiting.

To briefly summarize, the subject matter described herein allows for thevarious devices in a media presentation system to be configured orotherwise customized for compatible interoperations with respect toother devices coupled thereto in an automated manner that does notrequire any particular knowledge, expertise or interaction by a user.For example, an individual user may have multiple different streamingmedia devices coupled to a television and communicating on one or morenetworks within the user's home. The individual user may desire to viewmedia content on the television via a particular OTT media service butbe unsure as to which streaming media devices are capable of supportingthe OTT media service, or which of the streaming media devices isoptimal for use in presenting the media content. The user may open aconfiguration application on the user's phone or other client device,which, in turn, causes the client device to scan the various networksavailable to the client device to identify the different streaming mediadevices and television. The configuration application may thenautomatically configure the different streaming media devices forcompatible operation with the television and the respective networksthey communicate on, and then determine which of the streaming mediadevices supports the desired OTT media service and which of thestreaming media device is capable of presenting content with the bestperformance (e.g., highest content quality, data rate, etc.) given itsconfigured settings. In some embodiments, if the streaming media deviceconfigured to provide the best performance does not have the necessarysoftware for supporting the OTT media service, the configurationapplication may command or otherwise instruct that streaming mediadevice to download and install the necessary software application from aremote device.

Thereafter, the configuration application may generate a GUI displayindicating the automated configuration of the various streaming mediadevices and include indicia that the particular streaming media deviceconfigured to provide the best performance should be utilized for theOTT media service. In some embodiments, the configuration applicationmay automatically command, signal, or otherwise instruct the televisionto select a particular input coupled to the identified streaming mediadevice for presentation. Conversely, when the streaming media deviceconfigured to provide the best performance is unable to support the OTTmedia service, the configuration application may provide indicia thatthe best performing of the streaming media devices capable of supportingthe OTT media service should be utilized and/or instruct the televisionto select its associated input. Additionally, the configurationapplication may provide feedback, recommendations, or suggestions forimproving performance of the selected streaming media device (e.g., byconnecting the selected streaming media device to a different network),upgrading or replacing the selected streaming device, or for modifyingor enabling the streaming media device configured to provide the bestoverall performance to support the OTT media service (e.g., disabling afirewall to allow the streaming media device to download the OTT mediaservice software application).

It should be noted that while the subject matter may be described hereinin the context of device pairings for purposes of explanation, in someembodiments, the automated configuration process 300 may be performed ina combinatorial manner. For example, the presentation devices 104 in amedia presentation system 100 may include a streaming media devicecapable of providing video independently of audio, a receiver devicecoupled to the streaming media device to route the video and audio, andone or more wireless speakers capable of receiving the audio contentfrom the receiver device. The streaming media device and receiver devicemay each be capable of supporting high quality or high data rate videoand audio, while the wireless speaker(s) are only capable of supportinglower quality or lower data rate audio. If the streaming media deviceand receiver device pairing were configured independently of thereceiver device and wireless speaker(s) pairing, the streaming mediadevice may be configured to provide high quality video along with highquality audio to the receiver device, while the receiver device may beconfigured to provide only lower quality audio to the wirelessspeaker(s). As a result, the streaming media device may waste bandwidthor resources by providing high quality audio to the receiver device thatis not supported by the wireless speaker(s). Hence, in a combinatorialimplementation, multiple downstream presentation devices may beconsidered when configuring presentation devices throughout the mediapresentation system. In other words, upstream devices that reroute orretransmit content downstream presentation devices may be configured tosupport the lowest common configurable parameters or settings across thevarious downstream presentation devices that are directly or indirectlycoupled to that upstream device.

For example, continuing the above example, the streaming media devicemay be configured to provide high quality video along with lower qualityaudio to the receiver device rather than allocating bandwidth orresources to providing high quality audio to the receiver device,thereby freeing up those resources for buffering, processing, orotherwise transmitting the higher quality video. Conversely, if thereceiver device were coupled to a television or other display devicethat only supported lower quality video while the speakers coupled tothe received device supported high quality audio, the streaming mediadevice may be configured to provide lower quality video along withhigher quality audio to the receiver device, thereby optimizing resourceallocation at or associated with the streaming device based on thedownstream presentation devices.

It should be noted that the general systems, structures and techniquesdescribed above may be inter-combined, enhanced, modified and/orotherwise implemented to provide any number of different features. Inparticular, the term “exemplary” is used herein to represent oneexample, instance or illustration that may have any number ofalternates. Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” shouldnot necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over otherimplementations.

For the sake of brevity, conventional techniques related tobroadcasting, streaming, networking, wireless communications, contentdistribution or delivery, communications standards or protocols,encoding/decoding standards or protocols, content formats, and otherfunctional aspects of the systems (and the individual operatingcomponents of the systems) may not be described in detail herein. Thesubject matter may be described herein in terms of functional and/orlogical block components, and with reference to symbolic representationsof operations, processing tasks, and functions that may be performed byvarious computing components or devices. It should be appreciated thatin alternative embodiments the various block components shown in thefigures may be equivalently realized by any number of componentsconfigured to perform the specified functions. Furthermore, theconnecting lines shown in the various figures contained herein areintended to represent exemplary functional relationships and/or physicalcouplings between the various elements. It should be noted that manyalternative or additional functional relationships or physicalconnections may be present in an embodiment of the subject matter. Inaddition, certain terminology may also be used herein for the purpose ofreference only, and thus is not intended to be limiting. For example,terms such as “first,” “second” and other such numerical terms referringto structures do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicatedby the context.

While several exemplary embodiments have been presented in the foregoingdetailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number ofalternate but equivalent variations exist, and the examples presentedherein are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, orconfiguration of the invention in any way. To the contrary, variouschanges may be made in the function and arrangement of the variousfeatures described herein without departing from the scope of the claimsand their legal equivalents. Accordingly, details of the exemplaryembodiments or other limitations described above should not be read intothe claims absent a clear intention to the contrary.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of configuring a first mediapresentation device for presenting media content, the method comprising:detecting, by a client device, the first media presentation device on awireless network; identifying, by the client device, a maximum data ratesupported by a second media presentation device paired with the firstmedia presentation device; and automatically setting, by the clientdevice via the wireless network, a data rate parameter of the firstmedia presentation device to the maximum data rate supported by thesecond media presentation device when the maximum data rate is less thana second maximum data rate supported by the first media presentationdevice, the first media presentation device providing the media contentto the second media presentation device in accordance with the data rateparameter of the first media presentation device.
 2. The method of claim1, wherein: the first media presentation device comprises a set-top box;the second media presentation device comprises a television; and theclient device automatically configures the set-top box to store themedia content with a video quality that does not exceed a supportedvideo resolution of the television.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein:the first media presentation device comprises a set-top box; the secondmedia presentation device comprises a router communicatively coupled tothe set-top box; and the client device automatically configures theset-top box to placeshift the media content with the maximum data ratesupported by the router.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:detecting, by the client device, the second media presentation device onthe wireless network; obtaining, by the client device, identifyinginformation from the second media presentation device via the wirelessnetwork; and receiving, by the client device from a remote device, themaximum data rate associated with the identifying information in aremote database coupled to the remote device.
 5. The method of claim 1,further comprising discovering, by the client device, a plurality ofmedia presentation devices on the wireless network, the plurality ofmedia presentation devices including the first media presentation deviceand the second media presentation device; and automatically identifying,by the client device, the first media presentation device and the secondmedia presentation device are paired to interoperate with one anotherusing one or more logic rules prior to automatically configuring thefirst media presentation device for operation with the second mediapresentation device.
 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:obtaining, at the client device, first device type informationassociated with the first media presentation device; and obtaining, atthe client device, second device type information associated with thesecond media presentation device, wherein automatically identifying thefirst media presentation device and the second media presentation deviceare paired comprises automatically determining the second mediapresentation device is coupled to the first media presentation devicebased on the first device type information and the second device typeinformation.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein: the first mediapresentation device comprises a streaming media device; the second mediapresentation device comprises a router; and automatically setting thedata rate parameter of the first media presentation device comprises theclient device: determining a video resolution supported by the maximumdata rate available from the router; and automatically changing, via thewireless network, a video quality setting at the streaming media devicefrom a default setting to the video resolution so that the streamingmedia device does not attempt to stream the media content withresolutions higher than the video resolution supported by the maximumdata rate available from the router.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein:the first media presentation device comprises a streaming media device;the second media presentation device comprises a television; and theclient device automatically configures the streaming media device totranscode the media content into the file format supported by thetelevision.
 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying, bythe client device, second performance characteristics associated with athird device coupled to the first media presentation device, wherein:the first media presentation device comprises a streaming media device;the second media presentation device comprises a router; and the thirddevice comprises a television; the second performance characteristicsinclude a video resolution supported by the television; andautomatically setting the data rate parameter of the first mediapresentation device comprises the client device: determining a secondvideo resolution supported by the maximum data rate available from therouter; and automatically changing, via the wireless network, a videoquality setting at the streaming media device from a default setting toa lesser of the video resolution supported by the television and thesecond video resolution supported by the maximum data rate availablefrom the router.
 10. The method of claim 9, further comprisingproviding, at the client device, a graphical user interface display thatindicates the video quality setting and a remedial action for improvingthe video quality setting.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein: the firstmedia presentation device comprises a set-top box; the second mediapresentation device comprises a satellite receiver; and the clientdevice automatically configures the set-top box and the satellitereceiver for a lesser of respective highest video qualities supported bythe set-top box and the satellite receiver.
 12. A non-transitorycomputer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that areexecutable by a processing system of a client device to: detect a firstmedia presentation device on a wireless network; identify a maximum datarate supported by a second media presentation device paired with thefirst media presentation device; and automatically set, via the wirelessnetwork, a data rate parameter of the first media presentation device tothe maximum data rate supported by the second media presentation devicewhen the maximum data rate is less than a second maximum data ratesupported by the first media presentation device, wherein the firstmedia presentation device is configured to provide the media content tothe second media presentation device in accordance with the data rateparameter of the first media presentation device.
 13. A systemcomprising: a first media presentation device coupled to a wirelessnetwork; a second media presentation device paired with the first mediapresentation device; and a client device coupled to the wireless networkto detect the first media presentation device on the wireless network,identify a maximum data rate supported by the second media presentationdevice, and automatically set, via the wireless network, a data rateparameter of the first media presentation device to the maximum datarate supported by the second media presentation device when the maximumdata rate is less than a second maximum data rate supported by the firstmedia presentation device, wherein the first media presentation deviceis configured to provide the media content to the second mediapresentation device in accordance with the data rate parameter of thefirst media presentation device.
 14. The system of claim 13, wherein:the first media presentation device comprises a media device; the secondmedia presentation device comprises a television; and the client deviceautomatically configures the media device to provide media content tothe television with a video quality that is less than or equal to ahighest video resolution supported by the television.
 15. The system ofclaim 14, wherein the media device comprises a set-top box or astreaming device.
 16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium ofclaim 12, wherein the first media presentation device comprises aset-top box and the second media presentation device comprises atelevision.
 17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12,wherein the first media presentation device comprises a set-top box andthe second media presentation device comprises a router communicativelycoupled to the set-top box.
 18. The non-transitory computer-readablemedium of claim 12, wherein the first media presentation devicecomprises a streaming media device and the second media presentationdevice comprises a router.
 19. The non-transitory computer-readablemedium of claim 12, wherein the first media presentation devicecomprises a streaming media device and the second media presentationdevice comprises a television.
 20. The non-transitory computer-readablemedium of claim 12, wherein the first media presentation devicecomprises a set-top box and the second media presentation devicecomprises a satellite receiver.